


Limb by Limb

by evilsexdemon



Category: Father Brown (2013)
Genre: Cannibalism, Case Fic, Crossover, Kidnapping, Murder, hannibal 'society is corrupt so i should be allowed to eat human meat' lecter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2018-12-31 05:51:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12125925
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilsexdemon/pseuds/evilsexdemon
Summary: a young woman is found dead in a field, missing parts of her stomach. Lady Felicia is invited for a fancy dinner. Father Brown has to solve the case.





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hoooo crossover between my two favourite TV series. Uhhh. Let me know what you think. I don't own these series, english is my second language, all that.

It was raining. The sky was dark and grey, and anyone who preferred not to get sick had long retired to their homes, sitting in front of the fireplace with their family, a thick blanket over their legs and a nice cup of tea in their hands. The few who were still outside, however, were getting drenched. Except Father Brown.

The priest was outside, holding his umbrella. He was walking towards Mrs. McCarthy's house for a cup of tea when he saw a police car rush past, towards the fields just outside of Kembleford. This piqued his interest, and he decided to go check it out. 

There was a body, laying in the mud. Inspector Sullivan and Sergeant Goodfellow were at the scene, putting up tape so no civilians would be able to get in. They were both wearing rain coats and police hats, on which the rain made a loud clattering noise. "Can't see anything in this damned rain." Inspector Sullivan remarked. "We're gonna have to move her to the coroner's office." 

he swore. "I bet all the evidence's been washed away already. That's just great." 

Just then, as the inspector thought his day couldn't get any worse, a familiar figure in a cassock began making his way towards them, through the field. He had a nice umbrella, while the police officers had to rely on raincoats. They, of course, didn't actually shield against the rain. "There's nothing here for you to see, Padre. This is police work." 

"Hello, inspector Sullivan! Hello Goodfellow, how's the family?" Father brown lifted up the tape and walked through, ignoring the inspector's warning. "Who's this?" 

"We don't know yet. We still need the coroner to examine her." Inspector Sullivan deadpanned. "Ah." Father Brown said, squinting to see better. When this proved unsatisfactory, he crouched down. The victim was lying on her stomach, wearing a shirt and a long skirt. She seemed young, maybe a young adult. "Would you mind holding my umbrella, inspector?" 

"I'm not going to-" Sullivan sputtered, but Sergeant Goodfellow had already grabbed it and now triumphantly held it over his head. Sure, his clothes were already drenched, but it was a nice break from the rain. Father brown lifted a bit of the girl's shirt, revealing bite marks on her lower back. Inspector Sullivan furrowed his brow. "What happened to this girl?" he muttered to himself. 

"Can I turn her around?" Father Brown asked. "I have the feeling that something very hideous happened here." 

Defeated, inspector Sullivan made a hand gesture. "Sure. Go ahead. Since you've already contaminated the crime scene." 

Father Brown gladly did so and gently turned the girl over so she was laying on her back. Immediately, he grimaced. Her shirt was hitched up, and two big pieces of flesh seemed to have been cut from either side of her stomach. There wasn't much blood, so either the rain had washed it away, or the flesh was removed post-mortem. Inspector Sullivan visibly recoiled. "What sick person would do this? And for which reason?" 

Father Brown crossed his heart. "Dear God." he mumbled. 

+

"It was quite gruesome. The woman was missing two chunks of her stomach. They'd been cut off." Father Brown said. 

"That's disgusting! Couldn't you have waited with telling us this story until after tea?" Lady Felicia said. The group were all having a cup of tea in Mrs. McCarthy's living room. Lady Felicia and Mrs. McCarthy were on the couch, Father Brown was in the lounging chair, and Sid, wet hair and clothes, was in front of the fireplace with his cuppa and a small dish with some biscuits. 

"Well, you were the ones who asked if I'd found any cases lately." Father Brown mumbled. Mrs. McCarthy spoke up. "Who would do such a thing! Oh, the murder, I meant. Not what you said, dear Father. Ghastly, is what it is." 

"D'you want me to run over to the police station and see if they know anything more?" Sid asked. Father Brown was going to say something but was interrupted by Mrs. McCarthy. "Not in those clothes you won't! It's pouring out. You might catch a cold! Oh, men. Always trying to prove how brave they are." she looked over to Lady Felicia, who only chuckled in response. 

"I'll take an umbrella with. 'S that good enough?" Sid asked, already standing up. He then crouched back down, grabbed a biscuit from the dish and stood back up again. He moved into the hall and returned a few seconds later with one of the Father's spare umbrellas. Mrs. McCarthy reluctantly agreed and let him run off. "That boy, I swear." 

"One day he'll work himself to death. And the Father doesn't even pay him!" 

"Oh, but I do." Lady Felicia said, stirring her tea absently. "He's a great driver. He will, of course, drive me to dinner with a particularly affluent gentleman who recently moved into Kembleford." She mentioned this off-handedly, as if she wanted a reaction from the older woman. 

Mrs. McCarthy looked shocked. "And what does dear Sir Montague think of this?" 

"He's out of town, and I'm continuing his business in his absence." Lady Felicia explained with a smirk. 

"Tell me about this man. I didn't hear of anyone moving in." Father Brown said. Lady Felicia let out a laugh. "Oh Father Brown, always looking to recruit new sheep into your flock. He's a famous psychiatrist from America. Doctor.. Lecter, if I remember correctly. Maybe you should join me to dinner."

"Maybe I should.." Father Brown said, interested look on his face. 

Sid returned a few minutes later. "They know who she is. Girl from just outta town, not in the Father's.. flock. The name's Elisa Dixon."

"Did you have to bribe sergeant Goodfellow?" Lady Felicia asked, amused smile on her face.

"Nope. Told him it was for the Father. Immediately gave me the casefile. 'S long as I don't tell anyone it was him, we're good." 

"Wait a minute. Dear God, I know that girl. I used to babysit for the Dixons." Mrs. McCarthy said. "Never noticed they stopped coming to church, though." she added, sounding bitter. Nobody paid mind to that last part. 

"So.. you know their address?" The Father tentatively asked.


	2. 2

The next day, Father Brown walked the couple of miles to Elisa Dixon's house. The air was cold and smelled like wet grass. The weather report had said that there would be no more rain, at least not for a couple of days, but the sky was grey and not very promising. 

He rang the bell of the house. It was a nice house, with two floors. The windows were big and let in lots of light. A woman opened the door. She had dark brown hair and tired eyes. She had been crying- Father Brown could assume that she'd already heard about her daughter. 

"Hello, Father. I assume you're here to.. deliver your condolences?" she said. A weird way to put it, but then again, she'd just lost a child. 

"Ah, yes. Even though your family isn't a part of my church, I still felt the need as a friend, to-" Father Brown was cut off by a man who walked into view behind where the woman was standing. "We don't want to join your church." 

The woman turned around and whispered something in the man's ear. "He's just offering us his condolences for Elisa." she continued, loud enough for the priest to hear. The man nodded once. " in that case, come in. I'll brew you a cup of tea."

"I am very, very sorry for your loss. As a devout Catholic, I just had to come by, ask if you needed anything." Father Brown later said while he was on the couch. The Dixons sat across from him. The woman, smiling, the man with an angry look on his face. 

"Thank you, Father, but that won't be necessary. We're.. handling things. However hard it is, at this moment." The woman said. 

"She, Elisa I mean, was your only child?" the Father inquired. 

The woman nodded. "We didn't need anyone else. She was kind, good with children, a hard worker.. she was supposed to start her new job today." her voice cracked. "She said she was going to.. f-first make some money to help us, 'cause, with Harold's illness and all, and then she'd- she'd look for a husband and provide us with grandchildren." at that last part of the sentence, she broke down, crying. Her husband, Harold, immediately stood up and went to comfort her. 

"Look what you did, priest." He said, bitterness dripping from his voice. 

"No, no, it's not his fault. Why don't you go upstairs, darling." the woman said. Harold begrudgingly agreed and stepped out of the room. 

"Where was Elisa going to get a job? If I may ask." Father Brown asked, handing her a paper tissue from the table in between the two of them. She gladly took it. 

"The Lecter estate. She was going to be a housekeeper." 

Father Brown furrowed his brow. "Thank you so much. I must go now, though. Church.. duties." He checked the clock on the wall while he stood up from the couch. 4 PM. He'd be picked up by Sid and Lady Felicia in two hours. 

Meanwhile, Lady Felicia was getting ready for the dinner, pondering about many things. It didn't feel right to have a nice dinner prepared by a rather handsome man while the coroner at Kembleford police station was cutting incisions into poor Elisa Dixon's body. Briefly, Felicia thought about whether Elisa would've liked to go to dinner with them. Had she had an affluent upbringing? Mrs. McCarthy hadn't gone into detail while talking about the girl she used to babysit. 

Felicia envisioned a kind of alternate version of their lives, wherein Elisa was still alive, coming to dine together with her. Father Brown hadn't told her what the young woman looked like, so she imagined a girl with long, brown hair and bright eyes. Asking Lady Felicia if she could borrow some clothes. Elisa came from a poor family and thus didn't have anything to wear. Felicia gladly agreed, insisting the younger woman would try everything on that she thought she'd like. Eventually they would wind up, both in their undergarments, laughing and sitting on Lady Felicia's bed. "And. Tell me. What did you find the most beautiful?" Felicia would ask, and the young woman would blush and say "You, my dear." 

"Oh come on! We gotta leave in ten minutes, lady F. You still decidin' what.. fur coat goes the best with your skirt?" Sid yelled through the door, waking Lady Felicia up from her daydream. She shook her head and stood up, puzzled at her own behavior. 

"I'll be out in a minute!" She yelled back, putting her shoes on. 

+

Father Brown shuffled his way into the back of the car, where Lady Felicia was holding a hand size mirror, applying the last bits of her makeup. When Father Brown came in she immediately stopped. "So. Any new clues?"

"Well, Lady Felicia, I am very glad you invited me to this dinner. Elisa Dixon had gotten a job at the Lecter estate just days before she passed away. It's worth investigating." Father Brown said. 

"That sounds suspicious." Sid yelled from up front. 

"I guess so. I need to look around the house, see if there's anything out of the ordinary. Maybe after dinner. You and Sid stay, talk to Dr. Lecter, try to bring up Elisa, and I slip away." Father Brown said. Lady Felicia nodded. 

"Sounds good. I'm never the one interrogating. I'm looking forward to it." she said. 

It was a reasonably long drive. The skies were gray above them. Father Brown hoped it wouldn't rain again. It'd been so dreary lately, even he was affected. When they finally reached the house some lost raindrops were already clattering down on the roof of the car. Father Brown gave his umbrella to Lady Felicia. 

The house was about three stories high, standing proud in between the trees. It was a dark shade of cream, and looked as if it was built hundreds of years ago. It reminded Father Brown of a castle, somewhat. Beautiful, but not welcoming in the slightest. As if it were laying down silently, ready to strike and eat them up. He supposed it didn't help that the inhabitant of this house was possibly related to Elisa Dixon's death. 

Sid rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, the door opened and revealed a young man with curly brown hair. 

"Ah. You must be Dr. Lecter." Lady Felicia said.


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner at Doctor Lecter's.

"No, sorry. I'm his apprentice. I traveled with him from America. My name is Will." the man said. He looked down nervously. Lady Felicia smiled. 

" In that case, nice to meet you. I am Lady Felicia Montague. That--" she gestured to her right, "is my driver, Sidney, and the man to the left is Father Brown. I decided to invite him along, as he expressed interest in formally welcoming you and Dr. Lecter to Kembleford. I hope that won't be a problem?" 

"No, not at all. I'll inform the Doctor. You three, come in, take off your wet coats, make yourself at home in the living area until dinner is ready. It's up the flight of stairs, the first door to the left." The man said, holding the door open for the trio. Once inside, he closed the door and disappeared up the stairs. 

"Sid, help me take off my coat." Lady Felicia said. Sid agreed, and while they were doing that, Father Brown looked around this room. There was a coat rack, and a long, dark hallway leading to a door which probably opened into the back garden. From upstairs came soft talking and the sounds of cooking, metal utensils clanking against each other and so on. 

The man had seemed very nervous. While Sid and Lady Felicia went upstairs, Father Brown lingered for a few more seconds. He was extremely focused. If anything that had something to do with Elisa Dixon revealed itself, like a clue, he would notice. He was so focused that he thought he'd heard a woman's voice saying his name. But he shook his head. It was probably Lady Felicia, upstairs. 

The decor upstairs was simple, but you could obviously see that whoever lived here was wealthy. Lady Felicia had sat herself down on the couch, which faced a small table with a radio on it. Sid was looking around, reading the names of books in one of the many bookcases. 

"This guy's a real collector. Freud, Kinsey," Sid pulled a face. "Sexual behavior in the human female." Lady Felicia laughed softly. He walked back to the couch and turned to Father Brown, who had just come in. "Anything suspicious?" 

"No, nothing." Father Brown said. He thought back to the voice he'd heard in the hallway, but figured it really was his imagination, and thus not worth mentioning. "Do you know anything about this man, other than that he's American?" 

"Well, yes. He wants to do business with my Monty. He's an affluent psychologist. And his student, Will... honestly, I didn't know he existed. Maybe we'll learn more over dinner." Lady Felicia said. 

Will, the man who'd let them in earlier, came in at that exact moment. "Dinner is served." he said. Sid helped Lady Felicia up and the trio followed the man to the dinner hall. 

The dinner looked amazing, to put it mildly. Dozens of bowls and plates full of delicious meat, baked potatoes and vegetables. There were ribs, with slices of lemon on top, chicken legs and rice, multiple kinds of salads and big bottles of red wine. Will led Lady Felicia to a chair at the head of the table. Sid sat down on one side of her, Father Brown on the other. Will sat down next to Sid. 

Then, the door to the kitchen opened and a man strode out. He had blond hair. He was tall, and wore a fancy suit. His face looked worn by age, but Father Brown guessed he couldn't be older than forty. He nodded to Lady Felicia and sat down opposite from her. 

"Hello, dear guests." he spoke. He had a slight, foreign accent that the priest couldn't exactly place. "We are gathered here today on this beautiful day to reach a business agreement." Outside the window lightning struck. "I'm sure you've all been introduced to my protégée, Will. But I see that there's a guest I hadn't anticipated." his eyes were on Father Brown. 

"Ah. Yes. That's Father Brown. He's the priest at my local church, and also a dear friend of mine." Lady Felicia said, before the Father could introduce himself. 

"Nice to meet you, Father Brown." Dr. Lecter said. "I am but a humble cook, but I do hope you all enjoy the food."

To show that the dinner had officially started, Dr. Lecter took his fork and pricked a single olive onto it, and then proceeded to eat it. As if given a start sign, everyone scrambled to get the nicest looking pieces of meat. Lady Felicia put Caesar salad onto her plate, while Sid grabbed a bunch of baked potatoes. 

Father Brown had expected to be asked to lead in prayer. The doctor wasn't a religious man, then. No problem. The food did look amazing. Especially the meat, which looked to be prepared with the most care out of anything. The Father noted how much fairly expensive food was on table. It hadn't been long since the war, and other people were still recovering from it. So, the doctor was also an affluent man. He certainly seemed to be enjoying himself. He was happily chatting away with Lady Felicia and Will. 

The Father didn't even notice that he hadn't started eating yet until Sid tapped him on the arm. "Something wrong?" 

"No, I'm.. quite alright. Just a bit lost in thought." Father Brown said, and decided to try some of the salad himself. It seemed to have little bits of cheese in it. 

"Getting old?" Sid remarked, grinning. The father shook his head, glaring at the younger man. Sid just grinned and continued eating. 

"Please. Try some of the steak. I insist." Doctor Lecter said, ever so charming. Father Brown looked at the cut up pieces of meat, and then back at Doctor Lecter. The man was indeed insisting, and it made the father nervous, for some reason. There was an invisible tension in the room. Maybe it had something to do with Elisa's death. Father Brown wondered if the Doctor even knew about that. 

"Doctor Lecter?" Father Brown spoke up. He looked up with a big grin. "Yes, Father?" 

"I wanted to give you my condolences, since I forgot earlier. Elisa Dixon, God rest her soul. She was still so young." Doctor Lecter's grin faded. The Father spoke on. "I understand that she was going to work for you. So I figured, you must've known her personally." 

"Yes. I heard." The doctor said. "It's a pity." 

The Father frowned. Doctor Lecter didn't seem very sad. Irritated was a better way to put it. The doctor'd gone rigid, clenching his fist around a fork. The soft conversation among the other guests went silent. 

"I wonder who would do anything wrong to such a sweet girl." Doctor Lecter said. Father Brown nodded. 

"Anyways." Just as quick as the room'd gone cold, it warmed up again. "Try the meat, Father Brown. It's pork. It's known for it's recognizable, sweet taste."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> .. i know how self-indulgent this is, and how i'm probably the only one who's watched both these shows. But still. If you did read it, please tell me what you thought!


	4. 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dinner's finished.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AaaaaaaaaAAAh!!!! After this, only one more chapter and the story'll be complete! I think.... this is my first time writing something like this. Thank you all for the overwhelming support!

After dinner, Lady Felicia joined Will and Doctor Lecter in the living room with a cup of coffee. Father Brown pulled Sid apart into the hallway. 

"I.. think I know what happened to Elisa Dixon." He confessed. Sid furrowed his brow. "You do? Well, go on then, tell me." 

"Okay.." Father Brown started, tentatively. "The.. bathroom is opposite from us, if you need it." Before Sid could ask why, Father Brown broke the news to him. 

"I think that the flesh which was missing from her body was the pork standing on the table during dinner just now." Father Brown explained. "I also think that there may be other victims in this house right now." 

"B-but... Do you mean Doctor Lecter.. eats people? Wait. I ate the pork. I.. I think I'm gonna be sick." Sid said.

"Well, bathroom's over there." Father Brown said sadly. Sid ran off into the bathroom and Father Brown could hear his knees hitting the ground as he made himself puke into the toilet. Father Brown felt bad that he hadn't immediately told Sid what he knew the moment he deduced it, but it was necessary as to not blow their cover. Dr. Lecter didn't know that they knew, and they were still one step ahead of him. Now to convince inspector Sullivan that Dr. Lecter had indeed killed Elisa Dixon. 

Suddenly, he had a realization. He'd heard a voice, earlier, when they were entering the house. Father Brown had thought nothing of it at the time, but now realized what this could mean. The police wouldn't believe him or any of his friends if they'd say Dr. Lecter was a cannibal. However, if his assumption was correct, and there was someone, presumably another victim, locked downstairs.. if Father Brown could safely get this person away from the Lecter residence, surely the police would believe them, since they'd been held captive and all. 

He heard the toilet flush and shook his head to get rid of the thoughts. He wasn't even sure if there was anyone downstairs. He'd have to tell Sid and Felicia about this. Then he had to make sure that Dr. Lecter and his apprentice didn't notice Father Brown bringing the person to safety. But, he also had to be sure of Sid and Felicia's safety. If the Doctor and his apprentice would notice Father Brown had escaped, maybe they'd lock up his younger friends instead. Maybe he'd... consume them. There wasn't much time. 

Sid came back out, looking a bit pale. He shivered. 

"Sid, I need you to make a distraction. I'm going to try something, but I need you and Lady Felicia to distract the Doctor. Tell her about his.. dietary preferences. He mustn't know that we know. Afterwards, I'll give you a sign, and you must go to the car together with Lady Felicia. Alright?" Father Brown explained. Sid nodded. "Get Lady F, listen for a sign, go to the car. Got it." 

Father Brown crept down the stairs as Sid entered the living room. The stairs were old and a bit creaky, but he managed. Then, he walked past where the coats hung on hooks and into the large, dark hallway. There weren't any lamps, only a candle mounted on the wall. It wasn't on. Father Brown stood in the hallway, as still and silent as he could, and held his breath. 

"Hello? It's Father Brown." 

Meanwhile, Sid walked into the living room. Lady Felicia was on the couch with a cup of coffee on a saucer. Next to her was Doctor Lecter. He had his arm behind Lady Felicia's back; it didn't touch her, but if she'd decide to sit back, it would. Sid felt rage go through him. The man was a murderer. He didn't want someone like that anywhere near Lady F. Next to the Doctor, on a separate chair, was Will Graham. He looked lost in thought, staring into his cup of coffee. 

"Didn't you like the food, boy?" The Doctor asked, smirking. Sid felt like he knew, somehow. 

"Not a big fan of pork, Doctor." Sid spat. Lady Felicia went to tell him to calm down but, as she stood up, she accidentally dropped her coffee over her own legs. 

"Heavens!" she yelled. The Doctor looked over to Will. "Go get her some towels!" 

"No, no. It's coffee stains. They only go away with water. Lots of it. C'mon, Lady F, I'll show ya where the bathroom is." Lady Felicia understood that he must have some reason, so she let herself be dragged by the arm to the bathroom. Sid locked the door behind them. 

"Father Brown?" came a soft voice from inside one of the rooms. "Is he there with you?"

"Who? Doctor Lecter?" Father Brown asked. The voice sounded like one of a girl, probably around the same age as Elisa.

"Yes." the voice said, strangely matter-of-factly for someone who'd been locked in a cellar by a man-eater. For a second, Father Brown thought that it could all be a trap. But then he rightened his posture. If he were to die trying to save someone his life would have been lived well. 

"I'm on my own. I'm going to open the door now." Father Brown said. He tried the doorknob but it barely budged. 

"Was that your grand plan?" The voice said, almost mockingly. Then came a softer "sorry. I haven't really talked to anyone in a couple of days."

"No problem. Happens to the best of us." Father Brown reached into his pocket and retrieved one of the sets of pins and other things Sid had given him to pick locks with. He stuck the lock picking tools through the keyhole and began to feel around for the correct pin. Suddenly, he heard a loud click and the door creaked as it opened. Father Brown sighed with relief and pushed it further open. 

The room on the other side of the door had a couple of stairs ending in a small room with a brown-coloured carpet. In the corner was a bucket with a roll of toilet paper next to it. In the other corner was a girl. Her clothes looked messed up, as did her hair. She was sitting with her legs against her body, holding herself together with her arms. She shakily stood up, and walked towards the door. She walked up the steps and stepped unto the hallway floor. 

"Is Doctor Lecter still around?" she whispered. Father Brown nodded as he led her back to the main door. "Listen. You have to get into the car parked out front as fast as you can. After a moment, me and my friends will follow, and we'll bring you to the police station." He said. 

"Okay. I can do that." The girl said. She opened the main door as gently as possible and then ran through the wet grass on bare feet. Father Brown held the door open, while he shouted to upstairs. "Sid! Lady Felicia! You must come back to church with me right this instant." 

After a few seconds, lady Felicia and Sid appeared atop the stairs. Lady F looked visibly shaken while Sid pulled her along by her hand. Will Graham also appeared. 

"What's happening? Where are you going?" he asked. 

"I forgot that there was to be a funeral at the church this evening. I'm so sorry. We have to leave." The Father said. Lady Felicia had reached the bottom of the stairs and, through the door, made her way to the car also. Sid followed suit after grabbing Lady Felicia's coat. 

Then, the Doctor produced himself from the door by the staircase. He looked angry. He looked like he knew. Father Brown crossed his heart and almost ran to the car. 

"I think he knows." He said after the car had started. Sid and Father Brown in front, Lady Felicia and the girl in back.

"Is he going to kill me? Like that other girl?" The girl asked. Lady Felicia turned around to face her. "No, of course not. You're save now. Hey, what's your name?" 

"Delia." The girl said. "I was visiting my aunt in Kembleford. I was playing this game where you- where you throw this ball around, and you have to hit a specific person, with a few kids from her neighborhood, but I had to go home- and-.. I don't remember anything after that. I woke up in this totally dark room. A man came to me, said his name was Hannibal Lecter and that he was very, very sorry for taking me without asking." 

Sid and Father Brown exchanged worried glances. 

"Well, Delia, whatever happened, it's over now. You're safe with us." Lady Felicia said. Delia smiled. "Thank you." 

Father Brown looked backwards to see if they were being followed. Nothing. They were all alone on the road. It felt wrong. Like Doctor Lecter didn't care that they were going to the police. Like it wouldn't matter. Like there were no consequences for him. 

They brought Delia into the police station. Sid waited outside, by the car, while Lady Felicia and Father Brown brought her in. At first, Sergeant Goodfellow looked confused, but then he seemed to recognize the young, scrawny girl amidst the two adults. 

"Father, that's... that girl's been declared missing just a few hours ago. Where did you find her?"

Father Brown took a deep breath. "That, my friend, is a very long story. But we must be quick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all again for supporting my writing!! If you have any criticism or comments on this chapter, please tell me them! Be gentle, please :3


	5. 5

Lady Felicia was allowed to stay in the room while they questioned Delia. Her aunt was called, a short, almost blind lady with a temper. While Delia was telling the inspector how she was taken, they heard the woman yell to the officers outside, demanding to see Delia. Delia was crying, but laughed through her tears when she heard that the woman was looking for her. They reunited. Lady Felicia stood up so Delia's aunt could sit down. 

Felicia met with the others just outside the station. 

"D'you know what they're gonna do? I haven't seen any police car driving out of here." Sid remarked. Lady Felicia shook her head. "For some reason they want to know what Dr. Lecter did to the poor girl first, in excruciating detail. Shouldn't we go back over there? Arrest the men before they can escape?" she said. "Father Brown, what do you think?" 

Father Brown was looking off into the distance, and didn't seem to have heard them. Lady Felicia tapped him on the shoulder. "Father Brown. You said that we had to be quick, earlier. Why don't we- the three of us -go back over to Dr. Lecter's house and keep him busy until the police decide to stop torturing Delia and go do their jobs?" she said. Father Brown shook his head. 

"I fancy myself an amateur sleuth. We are talking about a murderer here. A murderer who cannibalizes his victims. This is above my...above our powers. We should let the police handle this." Father Brown said. "Furthermore, if we go over there, we're putting ourselves in danger. I don't mind myself getting hurt, but I draw the line at the same happening to my dearest friends." 

Lady Felicia and Sid exchanged glances. "Fair enough." Lady Felicia said. 

Right at that moment, Sergeant Goodfellow burst out the door of the police station, followed by Inspector Sullivan and two other police officers.

"We're going to bust this guy. You wanna come? You did bring us a key witness." Inspector Sullivan yelled, from his car. The other two officers were taking a second car. Father Brown jumped up. "I've changed my mind." He told his friends, and ran towards the car. "Come along, now." Sid and Lady Felicia did as they were told, and ran towards the second car. 

The house stood there, menacing. The sky was completely dark by now, and it was surprisingly cold. Again, it was raining. Well, it was the season, after all. But maybe it was what the people in the two cars were about to do- confront a murderer -that made it this terrifying-feeling. Like something bad was about to happen. 

Inspector Sullivan and Sergeant Goodfellow took the lead, followed by Father Brown. The two police agents and Sid and Lady Felicia trailed behind. Goodfellow grabbed his gun from its holster, while Inspector Sullivan knocked on the door. Three times. They waited. It felt suffocating, not knowing what was about to happen. Like the house, and whatever was inside, was trying to suffocate them. 

No answer. Inspector Sullivan tried again. "Police." he insisted this time, and also knocked thrice. Again, the house creaked, but nobody inside stirred. 

"Should we go see if there's a way in through the back?" Goodfellow asked. Inspector Sullivan nodded. Goodfellow and the two agents disappeared 'round back. Inspector Sullivan was tapping his foot on the wet grass, waiting for something to happen. 

"Are you nervous?" Father Brown asked, voice soft. Inspector Sullivan looked at him. "No. No, of course not." he frowned. 

Running footsteps around the corner. Sid, Lady Felicia and the Inspector turned around. It was Goodfellow. "The door was open." he said, panting slightly. The group followed him back around. This back door led to the dark hallway, where the room was where Father Brown found Delia. He pointed to the door right of them, which was half-open. 

"That's where the girl was." he almost whispered. He didn't know why, since they'd already made noise while coming in. The house was completely silent. No sound of birds outside, not even the rain which had been pouring down just a minute ago. Inspector Sullivan nodded, and opened the door. It was completely empty. 

They reached the stairway. "Where did you say the kitchen was again?" Inspector Sullivan asked. 

"To the left is the living room. To the right, the first room is a bathroom, and the second is the kitchen. I don't know what the second door on the left is." Father Brown said. Inspector Sullivan rounded up his gaggle of agents. "You two, go look through the bathroom and the kitchen. Yell if you find anyone. Now remember: this guy is dangerous. So stay together." The two agents agreed and started going upstairs. 

Inspector Sullivan looked over the priest and his friends. "We'll do the rooms on the left." he said, softer. Lady Felicia looked nervous, but when Father Brown shot her a worried glance, she nodded. They began upstairs. 

The living room was just the way it had been when they'd been having dinner. It was dark outside, and there was a single lamp on in the corner. Even Lady Felicia's empty coffee cup, the one she had dropped over her skirt, was still on the table by the couch. Now that the coffee stains had dried, they were barely visible on the brown skirt which she had paired with a yellow blouse and a light brown coat. She still felt like a fool, not having had the time to change while they brought Delia to the police station. Sergeant Goodfellow  
Shone his flashlight around the room, once, and decided there was no hiding place for a mad cannibal and his accomplice in here. "Room clear, sir." he said. 

They moved on. Sid glanced into the kitchen and dinner table, where the two agents were busy opening kitchen cabinets. "Ya find anythin' tasty in there?" he yelled, grinning. Neither of them reacted. 

Inspector Sullivan tried to open the second door to the left, but found that it was locked. He cursed under his breath. "Right. Sergeant Goodfellow? Can you get this door open?" 

"I can certainly try, sir." Goodfellow said, and took a step away from the door, turned so his side was to the door. Then, he thrust himself towards it, using his elbow and upper arm to try and force the door open. It budged, but didn't break. Father Brown stood back, and turned himself towards Sid, who was leaning against the kitchen door's frame. Father Brown started talking. 

"Y'know," another loud bash from where Goodfellow was busting the door open, "I'd help them. But I'm afraid that knowing how to pick a lock won't exactly make us look good in the eyes of the law." 

Sid chuckled. "You might have a point there." Another loud bash, and the sound of wood cracking. The door swung open, revealing a completely dark room. Goodfellow took the lead, followed by the inspector. 

The room behind the door was a bedroom. The bed was in the middle of the room. It was a double bed, a king size. The room had a dark green decor, and the window, behind the bed, was open, and outside it was raining. The bedsheets were wet with what Father Brown hoped was rain. There was a table lamp, next to the bed, which probably would've been on if it weren't for the rain which was pooling on the bedside table. Part of the blanket seemed higher than the rest, as if something was under it. Not big enough for a person, but maybe the size of a dictionary or a small radio. The rain clattered against the walls of the house and dripped off the bed onto the floor. 

Inspector Sullivan crouched down to look under the bed. "Empty." he said, followed by a louder "Room clear!" The others began making their way towards the hallway, away from the rain and the fact that Dr. Lecter had gotten away. But Father Brown remained focused on the object under the blanket. He moved towards the side of the bed and tentatively grabbed the corner of the soaked bed sheet. 

He started pulling it off. He expected the worst, but it was a small box with a fabric bow on top. Frowning, Father Brown grabbed the box from the bed. Curiosity got the better of him and he untied the bow and opened the box. The package contained something heavy, too, but on top was a letter, written in this impossibly small, neat handwriting. The paper was also.. moist, from the rain, but still intact enough. Father Brown picked it up and, briefly, his hand made contact with something that felt like a sponge. He swallowed hard and looked at where he'd just pulled the letter from. 

Sid slipped into the room and looked at the priest. "What's that y'got in your hand there?" He asked. Father Brown said nothing, but tilted the box slightly towards Sid. "A little present from our dear doctor."

Inside the box was a finger. Gross, decomposing finger. The fingernail was painted dark blue. Elisa and Delia both still had all their fingers. So there had to be a third victim. Sid visibly recoiled. "What the-" then he noticed the letter in the Father's other hand. "What's that?"

"Dear Father Brown," Father Brown read aloud. 

"By the time you read this, me and Will have left Kembleford, and the police will not be able to track us. I have heard much about you from Lady Montague, and her husband, whom I had originally been planning to have business with. He was quite interested in my revolutionary therapy. But he did not pique my interest quite as much as you do. 

A priest who solves crimes. It's absurd, quite frankly. You, as a religious figure, know exactly how corrupt society is, yet you continue to help the police. I am aware that you, too, know that something is wrong around here. 

We will meet again. No police, no others. Just a meeting between god and man. Creator and created. I'll leave it to you which of those roles you will fill.

Signed, Doctor Hannibal Lecter." 

Both men were silent for a few seconds. 

"Well that's a bunch of bollocks." Sid remarked, attempting to lighten the mood. Father Brown shook his head, blinking a few times. "Well.." he said softly. 

"No, you're kidding, right. You're not gonna actually meet up with this nutcase..." Sid began. Father Brown shrugged a bit. Sid groaned. 

"You're gonna get yourself killed one of these days."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope that was somewhat what you were hoping for. i left the ending open ish because I wouldn't mind writing a part 2 to this, but on the other hand I'm not looking forward to it right now. Well, hope you enjoyed, leave a comment if you did! I'm so thankful for the kudos and nice comments I got.


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